Syrian regime shelling kills 2 in Idlib: White Helmets

IDLIB, Syria

At least two civilians were killed Thursday when Syrian regime forces and Iran-backed militias shelled positions in northern Syria’s de-escalation zones, according to the White Helmets civil-defense agency.

The attacks targeted the Khan Shaykhun and Altmanah districts, along with the villages of Maherdabsa, Pekkaria and Khan al-Sabeel in Idlib province, the White Helmets said.

The villages of Hawija, Qastoun and Al-Zaqqum in Hama province were also targeted, according to the civil-defense agency.

Last September, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression would be strictly prohibited.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected severity.